Universal elevator



Aug. 28, 1956 K. MAGEE UNIVERSAL ELEVATOR 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Nov. 12, 1947 A tiv INVENTOR.

Aug. 28, 1956 K. MAGEE UNIVERSAL ELEVATOR 7 Sheefs-Sheet 2 Original Filed Nov. 12, 1947 8, 1956 KL. MAGEE 2,760,622

UNIVERSAL ELEVATOR Original Filed Nov. 12, 1947 7 SheetsSheet 3 Aug. 28, 1956 K. L. MAGEE UNIVERSAL ELEVATOR 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed Nov. 12, 1947 INIEA I'OR.

Aug. 28, 1956 K. L. MAGEE UNIVERSAL ELEVATOR Original Filed 'Nov. 12, 1947 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVEN TOR.

%a; jyg

Aug. 28, 1956 K. L. MAGEE UNIVERSAL ELEVATOR 'v SheetsSheet 6 Original Filed Nov, 12, 1947 Aug. 28, 1956 K. MAGEE UNIVERSAL ELEVATOR 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 Original Filed Nov. 12, 1947 ATTORNEYQ'."

United States Patent UNIVERSAL ELEVATOR Kenneth L. Magee, Burlington, Iowa, assignor to J. I.

Case Company, Racine, Wis, a corporation of Wis- COIlSlll Continuation of application Serial No. 785,413, November 12, 1947. This application May 9, 1951, Serial No. 225,435

Claims. (Cl. 198-173) My invention relates to elevators for handling different types of material.

This application is a continuation of my copending application Serial No. 785,413, filed November 12, 1947 and now abandoned.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved elevator which may be adjusted to handle several types of material.

A further object is to provide improved means for adjusting the length of the bottom of the elevator chute as the elevator chain is tightened or loosened.

A further object is to provide improved means for feeding material to the elevator.

A further object is to provide improved means for folding the feeder over the elevator for transportation.

A further object is to provide improved means for ready attachment and detachment of the conveyor feeder.

A further object is to provide improved means for ready attachment and detachment of the chute feeder.

A further object of my invention is to provide improved transmission means for the elevator and feeder.

A further object is to provide improved discharge means for the elevator.

Further objects will appear from the disclosure and claims.

In the drawings in which an embodiment of my invention is shown,

Fig. l is a perspective view of a material elevator, with the feeder in position of use, parts being removed for the sake of clarity;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the lower end of the elevator showing the feeder folded in position for trans- P Fig. 3 is a side elevational view the elevator;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view showing the side wings of the elevator in position for handling granular material or the like;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the side wings in an intermediate sloping position for handling interjamming material, for example, ear corn;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Figs. 5 and 6 showing the side wings folded down flat in position for handling bulky material, such as baled hay or the like;

Fig. 8 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the feeder lowered in position for use;

Fig. 9 is a side elevational view of the lower end of the elevator showing the feeder removed and the feed chute substituted therefor for handling material such as baled hay and the like;

Fig. 10 is an elevational view from the left of 8;

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view outlining the transmission from the engine to the elevator conveyor and the feeder conveyor;

Fig. 12 is a side elevational view end of the elevator;

of the lower part of on the line 4-4 of of the discharge Fig. 13 is a vertical axial sectional view of the upper end of the conveyor shown in Fig. 12, the section being substantially on the line 1313 of Fig. 14;

Fig. 14 is a generally horizontal sectional view of the upper end of the elevator substantially on the line 1414 of Fig. 15; and

Fig. 15 is a substantially vertical sectional view on the line 15-15 of Fig. 14.

The construction shown comprises a transportable two-wheeled chassis 1, an elevator chute or trough 2 pivotally mounted on said chassis 1 at 3 to swing from a lowered to a raised position, means for raising and lowering the chute 3 comprising a lifter strut or mast 4 pivotally mounted on the chassis 1 at 5 carrying an antifriction roller 6 on its upper end for engaging the chute 3, a Windlass 7 and cable" 8 for effecting movement of the strut 4 and roller 6 with respect to the chute, and a loader 9 for receiving material to be elevated and delivering it to the elevator adjacent its lower end.

An internal combustion engine 10 is mounted on the chassis 1 for driving the endless conveyor chain 11 which operates in the elevator chute 2. The loader 9 may be attachable and detachable with respect to the chute since in handling certain kinds of material the loader may be useful, and in handling other kinds of material the loader may not be desirable. In order to facilitate the placing of packaged material such as baled hay on the endless conveyor, a feed chute 12 may be secured to the lower end of the trough which slopes downwardly toward the endless conveyor so that articles such as bales of hay 13 placed on this inclined chute will be seized by the conveyor flights 14 and carried upwardly. The loader 9, when attached to the elevator, may be mounted for pivotal movement with respect to the elevator to swing about an axis at 15 from a lowered position of use (Figs. 1 and 8) to a raised position (Fig. 2) above the elevator chute for transport.

In order to enable the endless chain conveyor 11 to be used for handling different kinds of material, such for example as granular material, interjamming or interdigitating material or uniformly packaged material, the sides 16 of the chute or trough in which the flights 14 of the endless chain conveyor operate are made pivotally adjustable about axes at 17 extending longitudinally of the trough. Typical or illustrative of different types of material which may be handled by the conveyor are shelled corn, ear corn, and bales of hay.

For handling baled hay, for example, the feeder 9 is removed, the bale chute 12 placed in position (Fig. 9) and the wing portions 16 are placed in their widest spread lowermost position (Figs. 7 and 9) in which the bales of hay 13 may be received crosswise from the bale chute 12, with their opposite ends resting on the conveyor wings 16 and their medial portions spaced from the bottom 18 of the channel portion of the chute 2 and engageable by the successive flights 14 of the conveyor. In handling interjamming material, such as ear corn 19 (Fig. 15), lump fuel, etc., the wings are set in an intermediate position (Figs. 6 and 15) in which they slope inwardly and downwardly, tending to cause material resting against the sloping wing portions to gravitate inwardly toward the channel portion. In handling this interjamming material, such as ear corn, the material may be placed corn, the wings 16 are placed in their extreme raised position (Fig. 5) in which the main portions of the wings 16 are in substantially vertical position. The shelled corn may be fed from the feeder to the conveyor in quantities which willfill the conveyor chute above thelevel of the upper edges of the flights. Thelayer of shelled corn above the upper level of the flights will rest as a sort of ribbon on the material lying between the conveyor flights and will be carried upwardly along with the lowermost layer of shelled corn.

In order to distribute the material delivered from the upper end of the endless conveyor, a swiveled discharge spout 21 is provided which may be swung about an upright axis to deliver the material received by the spout at the end portion of the arc defined by the swinging end of the spout.

The engine of any suitable type is mounted on a platform 22 secured to the chassis 1. The transmission from the engine to' the endless conveyor comprises a drive pulley 23 (Fig. 11) on the motor shaft 24 (Figs. 2 and 11), a belt 25 running over this drive pulley, a pulley 26 over which this belt 25 runs mounted on a shaft 27 mounted in suitablebearings on the chassis 1, a pulley 28 mounted on a shaft 27, a belt 29 running over the pulley 28, a pulley 30 over which the belt 29 passes, a shaft 31 mounted on the chassis 1 rotatable with the pulley 30, a sprocket 32 secured to the opposite end of this shaft 31, a sprocket chain 33 running over this sprocket, a driven sprocket 34 over which this sprocket chain runs, a shaft 35 rotatably mounted on the chute 2 on which this sprocket 34 is mounted, and a sprocket 36 rotatable with this shaft 31 over which the conveyor chain 11 runs. The upper end of the conveyor chain runs over a sprocket 37 at the upper end of the elevator chute 2.

The drive for the feeder conveyor 38 (Figs. 2, 8, and 11) is from a pulley 39 rotatable with the shaft 31. This drive comprises a belt 40 running over this pulley 39, a pulley 41 over which this belt runs, a shaft 42 rotatable with this pulley about which the feeder swings from lowered to raised position, and a pair of sprockets 43 rotatable with this shaft about which the feeder conveyor chains 44 run.

As shown in Figs. 8 and 10, the feeder conveyor chains 44 run over the sprockets 43, thence under guide means 45 for the lower intermediate portion of the sprocket chain, thence over the front sprocket wheels 46, and thence rearwardly under the curved guides 47 for the upper intermediate portion of the sprocket chain.

In order to remove the feeder from the elevator, the

supporting and bearing brackets 48 on which the drive shaft 42 is mounted are detached from the uprights 49 at the front end of the chassis, the lifting springs 50 are disconnected from the chassis, and the feeder is lifted away from the chassis. The slide or chute 14 which may be used when handling baled hay is then substituted for the feeder, as shown in Fig. 9, by attaching the slide portion 51 of the chute to the folded-down wings 16 of the elevator chute and by attaching the lower ends of the uprights 52 of the chute to the lower end of the elevator chute.

In order to prevent or lessen leakage of material between the feeder and elevator, the feeder chute 53 is provided with a lip 54 (Figs. 2 and 8), which when the feeder is swung down into position of use engages an upstanding lip 55 at lower end of the elevator chute.

To facilitate raising the feeder from its lowered position of use to its raised position for transport, the lower rearward end of the chute may be provided with a lifting handle 56 (Figs. 8 and 10).

As shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7, the side Wings 16 of the elevator chute may be secured in any one of three adjusted positions. This adjustment is accomplished by removing the bolt 57 which connects the swinging supporting arm 58 and the supporting bracket 59, bringing the hinged wing portion 16 to the desired position and reinserting the bolt 57 in a different hole 60 in the arm 58.

In order to adjust the upper conveyor sprocket 37 (Figs. l2, 13, 14, and 15) for tightening or loosening the conveyor chain 11, the shaft 61 which carries the upper sprocket is mounted in a pair of journal members 62 to each of which is secured a stud 63 having a threaded portion on which are threaded two nuts 64 on opposite sides of the angle iron 65 and angle bar 66 which extends between the wall of the housing 67 which encloses the lower run of the conveyor. These walls are slotted at 68 to provide clearance for the shaft 61 and guide it in its movement. i

In order that the bottom of the elevator chute may accommodate itself to theadjustment of the sprocket wheel 37, it is provided with a sliding terminal section 69 at its upper end which is secured so as to movein unison with the sprocket shaft 61. For this purpose the upper discharge end of this slidable end plate is bifurcated to straddle the sprocket 37 and secured to a pair of anchor collars 70 which surround the sprocket shaft 61 so as the sprocket shaft moves, the terminal plate 69 moves with it. The lower or rearward end of this terminal bottom plate rests on and is guided by a cross plate or channel member 71 extending between the sides of the elevator chute. I Y

The discharge end of the elevator chute 2 is provided with material guiding apparatus comprising a semi-cylindrical hood 72 detachably secured to the upper end of the elevator chute, a cylindro-conical funnel-like member 73 secured to the lower skirt portion of the hood, a collar 74 secured by clips 75 to swivel on the lower end of the funnel-like member having a scoop-like discharge plate secured to its lower edge, and the discharge chute 21 pivotally mounted on the collar 74 at 76 and held in any desired position of angular adjustment by means of a supporting chain 77 secured at its lower endto the discharge chute 21 and detachably and adjustably secured at its upper end to the upper end of the hood 72. When the elevator is used for handling bales the detachable hood 72 and the parts carried thereby are removed to. enable the delivery of the bales from the upper end of the elevator chute 2. j

The apparatus for raising and lowering the elevator about the fulcrum 5 at its lower end (Figs. 1 and 3) comprises the lifter frame 4 rockably mounted on the chassis 1 adjacent its rear end, the antifriction roller 6 secured at the upper end of the lifter frame and engaging the lower side of the elevator chute 2, a manually operated crank 78 journalled at 79 on the elevator chute adjacent its rear end, and transmission from this crank to the upper end of the lifter frame, enabling the upper end of the frame to be drawn forwardly for raising the elevator chute and enabling the cable 8 to be payed out to allow the elevator chute to move downwardly undergravity for lowering. The transmission from the crank to the upper end of the lifter frame comprises a sprocket 81- mounted on the shaft on which the crank is mounted, a sprocket chain 82 running over this sprocket, a large sprocket 83 over which this sprocket chain runs, a shaft 83 journalled on plates 84 secured to and extending downwardly from the elevator chute, a winding-up drum 85 rotatable with this large sprocket, the cable 8 secured to this drum, a pulley 86 rotatably mounted on a clevis 87 pivoted to the lifter frame at 88 over which this cable passes, and a pulley 89 rotatably mounted in a sheave or pulley block 96 secured to the bracket 91 extending downwardly from theelevator chute over which pulley the cable passes, the end of the cable being anchored to the pulley block or clevis 87. in order to take the strain off the cable when the elevator is lowered to its lowermost position, a hook-like abutment plate 92 is secured underneath the elevator chute having a semicircular opening to receive and engage the antifric tion roller 6.

In order to enable the elevator to be transported readily, the front end of it is provided with a clevis 93 which may be attached to a tractor. The elevator chute is shown as being made in four sections which are detachably secured together by means of connecting plates and angles.

Further modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is desired, therefore, that the invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An endless conveyor elevator construction comprising a conveyor chute, an endless propeller operating in said chute having spaced blade-like flights secured thereto, said chute comprising a medial material-guiding channel portion in which said propeller operates and a pair of side wing material-guiding portions pivotally mounted adjacent the opposite side edges thereof to swing from a lowered substantially co-planar position, in which large objects placed on the conveyor will extend across the channel portion and be supported by the wing portions and will have their medial portions engaged by said conveyor flights, to an intermediate inwardly and downwardly sloping positon in which interjamming smaller objects placed in the conveyor chute will be confined by said wing portions and urged by gravity toward said channel portion and be jammed together so that the confined objects will be carried along by said flights, said flights extending above the level of the adjacent opposing Wing portion, said side wings having guiding and positioning flanges extending at an angle to their object supporting portions for engaging the edges of the large objects for centering and guiding them, said object-supporting portions forming a part of the conveyor chute and supporting the large objects for longitudinal movement by the propeller, each flight substantially filling the cross section of the channel.

2. An endless conveyor construction comprising a conveyor chute, an endless propeller operating in said chute having spaced blade-like flights secured thereto, said chute comprising a medial material-guiding channel portion in which said propeller operates and with respect to which the flights are in grain-tight proximity and a pair of side wing material-guiding portions pivotally mounted adjacent the opposite side edges thereof to swing from a lowered substantially co-planar position, in which large objects placed on the conveyor will extend across the channel portion and be supported by the wing portions and will have their medial portions engaged by said conveyor flights, to an intermediate inwardly and downwardly sloping position in which interjamming smaller objects placed in the conveyor chute will be confined by said wing portions and urged by gravity toward said channel portion and be jammed together so that the confined objects will be carried along by said flights and to a third substantially upright raised position in grain-tight proximity to the ends of the blade-like flights in which granular material may be placed in the chute to lie in the channel position and be confined by the wing portions, each flight substantially filling the cross section of the channel.

3. An endless conveyor elevator construction comprising a conveyor chute, an endless propeller operating in said chute having spaced blade-like flights secured thereto, said chute comprising a medial material-guiding channel portion in which said propeller operates and a pair of side wing material-guiding portions pivotally mounted adjacent the opposite side edges thereof to swing from a spread-apart position in which relatively large objects placed on the conveyor will be guided by the wing portions and will be engaged by said conveyor flights, to

a raised position in which smaller objects placed in the conveyor chute will be confined by said wing portions and urged by gravity toward said channel portion, said flights extending above the level of the adjacent opposing wing portion, said side wings having guiding and positoning flanges extending at an angle to their object supporting portions for engaging the edges of the large objects for centering and guiding them, said object-supporting portions forming a part of the conveyor chute and supporting the large objects for longitudinal movement by the propeller, each flight substantially filling the cross section of the channel.

4. An endless conveyor construction comprising a conveyor chute, an endless propeller operating in said chute having spaced blade-like flights secured thereto, said chute comprising a medial material-guiding channel portion in which said propeller operates and with respect to which the flights are in grain-tight proximity and a pair of side wing material-guiding portions pivotally mounted adjacent the opposite side edges thereof to swing from a lowered position, in which interjamming objects placed in the conveyor chute will be confined by said wing portion and urged by gravity toward said channel portion and be jammed together so that the confined objects will be carried along by said flights, to a substantially upright raised position in grain-tight proximity to the ends of the blade-like flights, in which position small granular material may be placed in the chute to lie in the channel portion and be confined by the wing portions and be carried along by said flights, each flight substantially filling the cross section of the channel.

5. An endless conveyor construction comprising'a conveyor chute, an endless propeller operating along said chute having spaced blade-like flights secured thereto, said chute comprising a medial material-guiding channel portion in which said propeller operates and with respect to which the flights are in grain-tight proximity and a pair of side wing material-guiding portions pivotally mounted adjacent the opposite side edges thereof to swing from a lowered substantially co-planar position, in which large objects placed on the conveyor will extend across the channel portion and be supported by the wing portions and will have their medial portions engaged by said conveyor flights and advanced thereby, to an intermediate inwardly and downwardly sloping position in which interjamming smaller objects placed in the conveyor chute will be confined by said wing portions and urged by gravity toward said channel portion and be jammed together so that the confined objects will be carried along by said flights and to a third substantially upright raised position in grain-tight proximity to the ends of the blade-like flights, in which position small granular material may be placed in the chute to lie in the channel portion and be confined by the wing portions and be carried along by said flights, each flight substantially filling the cross section of the channel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 620,232 Dingell Feb. 28, 1899 1,056,734 Brown Mar. 18, 1913 2,195,567 Glidden et a1 Apr. 2, 1940 2,356,434 Russell Aug. 22, 1944 2,446,472 Graf Aug. 3, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS 585,536 France Dec. 10, 1924 

